Tram drive unit for mining machine



w. 0. BOONE 3,416,623

TRAM DRIVE UNIT FOR MINING MACHINE Filed July 12, 1967 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Fig. l

INVENTOR.

BY William D. Boone waxww. o. BOONE 3,416,623

TRAM DRIVE UNIT FOR MINING MA CHINE Filed July 12, 1967 s Sheets-Sheet z 65 55 50 as 37 a5 a9 4/ INVENTOR.

I Y William D. Boone 1 w. o. BOONE TRAN DRIVE UNIT FOR MINING MACHINE 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed July 12, 1967 INVENTOR. Wflham D Boone United States Patent 3,416,623 TRAM DRIVE UNIT FOR MINING MACHINE William D. Boone, Chicago, Ill., assignor to Westinghouse Air Brake Company, Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Filed July 12, 1967, Ser. No. 652,782 9 Claims. (Cl. 1806.48)

ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Tram drive for mining machines of the loading and mining and loading type having an individual drive unit for each tram unit. The drive comprises a power pack including a pump and an electric motor for driving the pump and a drive pack including a hydraulic motor located within the extended confines of the drive element for an associated tram unit, and planetary reduction gearing within the confines of the drive element and driven by the hydraulic motor. The speed and direction of tramming is controlled by the control for the pump. The power pack and the drive pack are mounted on individual frames detachably mounted on the main frame of the machine by coupling pin and apertured mounting connections, enabling ready removal of the power pack and the drive pack for inspection and repair.

Background of the invention Heretofore tram drives for mining machines of the loading and mining and loading type have been a frequent source of trouble, due to the rugged conditions and high power required to crowd the machine into the material being loaded or mined and loaded. When it becomes necessary to repair the drive, it is usually necessary to lay up the entire machine to disassemble, repair or replace the drive parts. This requires a relatively long down time of the machine, and many times makes it necessary to discontinue mining in the area where the machine is laid up during this down time.

Summary of the invention and objects The present invention remedies the foregoing deficiencies by providing an individual power pack and a separate individual drive pack for each tram unit of the machine, and by separately mounting the power pack and the drive pack on the main frame of the machine, so the drive pack and the power pack may readily be removed as units for repair or replacement, with a resultant marked saving in time and cost for maintenance of the machine.

A principal object of the present invention is to provide a more compact and accessible drive for the tram units of mining machines, so arranged that the drives may be removed and replaced as units in a minimum time period.

Another object of the invention is to facilitate the maintenance 'of the drives to the tram units of continuous mining machines, by utilizing an individual electric motor and pump as the source of power for driving each tram unit, by connecting the pump to a hydraulic motor driving an associated tram unit, in which the hydraulic motor and drive gearing driven therefrom are within the confines of the tram unit and are mounted as units for ready removal from the main frame of the machine.

A still further object of the invention is to improve upon the maintenance of the tram drive for a mining machine and the like, by driving each tram unit by a hydraulic motor and planetary reduction gearing, within the confines of the tram unit, by mounting the hydraulic motor and planetary reduction gearing on a drive frame, readily removable from the main frame of the machine,

and by providing an individual power unit for each hydraulic motor in the form of an electric motor and pump mounted on a power frame mounted on the main frame of the machine for ready removal therefrom, in which the controls for the pump serve to vary the speed and change the direction of rotation of the hydraulic motor and the tramming speed of the machine.

These and other objects of the invention will more clearly appear as the following specification proceeds and with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Description of the drawings FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary plan view of a mining machine of the loading type, showing tram drives constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention on each side of the machine;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged fragmentary view in side elevation of an intermediate portion of the machine, illustrating the tram drive and controls therefor;

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged fragmentary plan view of the tram drive, with certain parts shown in horizontal section, in order to illustrate the geared drive connection from the electric motor to the pump supplying power to the hydraulic tram motor; and

FIGURE 4 is a horizontal sectional view taken through the drive unit substantially along line 44 of FIGURE 2 and illustrating certain details in the geared reduction drive to the tram unit.

Description of preferred embodiment In FIGURES 1 and 2 of the drawings I have generally shown a mining machine 10 of the type adapted to pick up and load mined coal from the ground, and transfer the mine-d coal to shuttle cars or other material transporting devices. While the mining machine 10 is shown as being a loading machine, it need not be a loading machine, but may be a mining machine or a continuous mining and loading machine of any conventional type.

The mining machine 10 generally includes a main frame 11 supported and trammed about the mine on tram units at each side of the machine, shown in FIGURE 1 as being laterally spaced continuous traction tread devices 12, 12. A central conveyor 13 of the laterally flexible center strand chain and flight type extends along the main frame 11 from a position adjacent the ground in advance of the forward end of said main frame to a discharge position beyond the rear end of said main frame. Conventional orbitally driven gathering arms 15, 15, extending along the top of an apron 16 on opposite sides of the conveyor 13 and beyond the forward end of said apron serve to progress the material onto said conveyor as the apron 16 is crowded into the loose material by the traction tread devices 12, 12.

As shown in FIGURE 4, the main frame 11 includes a side plate 19 extending along each outer side thereof and a side plate 20 spaced outwardly therefrom by spacer plates 21, spaced along said side plates and welded or otherwise secured thereto at their ends. The outer side plates 20 may form shoes along their bottom surfaces along which the continuous traction tread devices travel. or rollers (not shown) may be connected between said tide plates 19 and 20 and form supports for the main frame 11 on said continuous traction tread devices, in a conventional manner.

Each continuous traction tread device includes a plurality of aligned tread shoes 23 interleaving at their adjacent ends and pivotally connected together by pivot pins 24. The traction tread devices are trained about a drive element 25 disposed adjacent the rear end portion of the main frame 11 (FIGURE 4) and about an idler (not shown) disposed adjacent the forward end portion of said main frame. The drive element is shown in FIGURE 4 as having laterally spaced sprocket teeth 26 projecting from the periphery thereof for engagement within sprocket tooth receiving recesses 27, 27 in the tread shoes 23, for driving the continuous tread devices in a conventional manner. The drive element 25 is rotatably mounted in a drive pack frame 29 and is driven from a hydraulic motor 30, shown as extending outwardly of the drive pack frame 29, through driving reduction gearing 31 driven by said hydraulic motor and contained within the limits of the drive element 25, as will hereinafter be more clearly described as this specification proceeds. The drive element 25, drive pack frame 29, reduction gearing 31 and hydraulic motor form a drive pack 32, removable from the main frame 11 as a unit.

Power for driving the hydraulic motor 30 is attained from a power pack 33, individual to the hydraulic motor 30, and detachably mounted on the main frame 11 on a power pack frame 35. The power pack frame 35 includes a base plate 36, parallel spaced side walls 37 extending upwardly therefrom, a forward end wall 39 and a rear wall 40 extending between the side walls 37. The forward wall 39 extends across the rear or drive end portion of a drive motor 41, herein shown as being a conventional electric motor. Suitable securing means are provided for mounting said motor on said forward wall 39. The wall 39 has a central opening 43 receiving a hub 44 of an end plate 45 for the motor. A motor shaft 46 having a motor pinion 47 on the end thereof extends through the opening 43 in the space between the plates 39 and 40. The motor pinion 47 meshes with a pinion 48 of a lesser diameter than the diameter of the motor pinion 47, to drive a hydraulic pump 50 at an increased rate of speed from the speed of the motor 41. The pinion 48 is shown as being formed integrally of a sleeve 49 extending within a boss 51, secured to the plate 40 as by welding. The boss 51 forms a bearing mounting for the sleeve 49 on antifriction bearings 53. The interior of the sleeve 49 is splined for a portion of the length thereof, as indicated by reference character 55, and the splined portion of said sleeve is meshed with a spline 56 on a shaft 57, for driving the pump 50. The pump 50 has a radial flanged portion 59 abutting the back face of the wall 40, and is suitably secured thereto as by machine screws (not shown), or other suitable securing means.

The pump 50 may be a conventional form of cam plate pump, such as the No. 45 pump manufactured by New York Air Brake Company. In this pump a series of pistons (not shown) are mounted in a rotatable block (not shown) rotatably driven from the shaft 57. The pistons react against a cam plate (not shown) causing in and out movement of the pistons to supply high pressure fluid to the motor 30 through fluid pressure and return lines 60, connected between said pump and motor.

The angular positions of the cam plate (not shown) are infinitely variable as the cam plate is positioned from a neutral position at a Zero angle in which there is no piston stroke and no output from the pump, to extreme angular positions on either side of neutral, to reverse the flow of fluid from the pump through the pressure and return lines 60, and to increase the flow of hydraulic fluid to rotate the motor 30 from a minimum to a maximum speed in either a forward or reverse direction.

Fluid under pressure is thus supplied to the motor 30 through one pressure line 60 and is returned to the pump 50 through the opposite pressure line 60. Make up fluid may be supplied from a conventional tank (not shown) in a manner, which is no part of the present invention so need not be shown or described further herein.

The output of the pump 50 and the direction of flow of hydraulic fluid from the pump 50 to the hydraulic motor 30 is controlled by a control lever 61, on the outside of a control casing 62 mounted on the outside of the pump. The lever 61 is pivotally mounted in the casing 62 and has operative connection with the cam plate (not shown) of the pump to effect movement of said cam plate to either side of neutral. A mechanical control for the lever 61 is diagrammatically shown in FIGURE 2. This control includes a rod or Bowden wire 63 connected with and operated by a hand lever 65 mounted on the outside of the main frame 11. A second Bowden wire 63 and hand lever 65 is provided adjacent the first mentioned hand lever, to control the operation of the opposite continuous traction tread device and to enable tramming to be controlled from a convenient position at one side of the machine.

The means for detachably mounting the power pack frame 35 on the main frame 11 is shown in FIGURES 2 and 4 as comprising a pair of laterally spaced bracket legs 66 depending from the base 36. One of said bracket legs extends along the outside of the plate 19 of the main frame 11 while the other of said bracket legs extends along the outside of the plate 20. Vertically and longitudinally spaced coupling pins 67 are provided to detachably couple the power pack frame 35 to the main frame 11. As shown in FIGURES 2 and 4 the coupling pins 67 extend through apertured portions of the bracket leg 66 and registering apertured portions of the plates 19 and 20 and are detachably retained thereto as by locking keys 69. Said locking keys extend into annular grooves 70, formed in the coupling pins 67, adjacent the outer ends thereof (FIGURE 4) and retained to the outside of the outer bracket leg 66, as by machine screws 71 or other suitable securing means. The entire power pack 33 may thus be readily removed for replacement or repair by the simple operation of removing the machine screws 71 from the locking keys 69, and then removing the coupling pins from the bracket legs 66.

The drive pack 32 includes the drive pack frame 29 having an inner plate 74 and a laterally outwardly spaced outer plate 75, spaced therefrom by a spacer plate 76 (FIGURE 4). The inner plate 74 has an integrally formed coupling ear 77 extending therefrom along the outside of the plate 19 and the inside of a coupling lug 79 extending forwardly of a spacer plate 73 extending outwardly of the plate 19 and welded or otherwise secured thereto. A coupling ear 80 extends from the transverse spacer plate 76 along the outside of a similar mounting lug 81 extending from the spacer plate 73. The cars 77 and 80 are mounted on the lugs 79 and 81 as by a coupling pin 82 extending through registered apertured positions of said ears and lugs and locked thereto as by a locking key 83 secured to the outside of the ear 80, as by a ma chine screw 84. The locking key 83 like the locking key 69 extends within a grooved portion of the coupling pin 82. The forward end portions of the plates 74 and 75 have apertured portions 85 and 86 (FIGURE 4) for receiving a coupling pin 87 extending therethrough and through corrresponding apertured portions in the plates 19 and 20, and locked thereto as by a locking key 88. The drive pack frame including the hydraulic motor 30 and reduction gearing 31, as well as the drive element 25, may thus be readily removed from the main frame 11 as a unit, for repair or replacement, by merely removing the two coupling pins 82 and 87.

The motor 30 has an end plate portion 89 extending within a cylindrical wall 90 of an end plate 91 for the drive pack frame 29. The end plate 91 extends within a cylindrical opening 92 in the plate 75 and is secured to said plate 75, as by machine screws 93. The hydraulic motor 30 may be secured to the end plate 91 in a suitable manner, to attach said motor 30 to the power pack frame within the extended limits of the drive element 25.

The inner plate 74 has a cylindrical open portion 94 closed by a closure plate 95, welded or otherwise secured thereto. Said closure plate 95 has a shouldered portion 96, extending inwardly within the space between the plates 74 and 75 and forming a mounting for an anti-friction bearing 97. The bearing 97 forms a bearing support for the inner end of the drive element 25. The opposite end of the drive element 25 has a reduced annular portion 98 extending within an annular inwardly facing groove 99 formed in the closure plate 91. An anti-friction bearing 100 recessed in the annular groove 99 forms a bearing support for said reduced annular portion and the outer end of said drive element.

The inner end closure 95 has a boss 101 extending inwardly therefrom. The boss 101 has external splines 103 formed integrally therewith meshed with corresponding internal splines formed in an end wall 104 of a casing 105 for the geared reduction device 31, and holding said casing from rotation.

The geared reduction device 31 is herein shown as being a planetary geared reduction device, driven by a sun pinion 106 keyed or otherwise secured to the inner end of a coupling shaft 107. The coupling shaft 107 has an internally splined coupling 109 at its outer end, meshing with and driven by splines 110 on the inner end portion of a drive shaft 111 of the hydraulic motor 30. The coupling shaft 107 is abutted at its inner end by a thrust pin 112 recessed in the boss portion 101 of the end closure 95.

The casing 105 is shown as having a stepped inner periphery, a small diameter portion 113 of which has an internal gear 115 formed integrally therewith, and meshing with planetary pinions 116 driven from the sun pinion 106. The casing 105 also has an enlarged diameter portion having axially outwardly spaced internal gears 117 and 118 formed integrally therewith and meshed with planetary pinions 119 and 120 respectively. The planetary pinions 116 are carried on a cage 121 on antifriction bearings 122, which may be self-aligning bearings. The cage 121 is shown as being splined to a gear 123 spaced from the coupling shaft 107 and freely rotatable with respect thereto. The gear 123 in turn meshes with the planetary pinions 119, which are carried by a cage 126 on conventional self-aligning bearings. The cage 126 in turn is internally splined and is splined to a gear 127 spaced radially from the shaft 107, for free rotation with respect thereto. The teeth of the gear 127 mesh with the planetary pinions 120, which also mesh with the internal gear 118. The planetary pinions 120 are carried on a drive cage 130 on the usual self-aligning bearings and form a drive member for said cage. The drive cage 130 has external gear teeth 131 formed integrally therewith, meshing with internal gear teeth 132, formed integrally with the interior cylindrical wall portion of the drive element 25 for driving said drive element at a reduced rate of speed from the speed of rotation of the hydraulic motor 30. A rugged compact geared reduction drive connection has thus been provided, within the limits of the drive element 25, for rotatably driving said drive element 25 from the hydraulic motor 30, in a simple and expeditious manner.

It may be seen from the foregoing that an economical drive has been provided for the tramming devices for a mining machine and the like, in which separate drive and power units are provided for each tramming device, which may readily be removed as units for inspection and repair by the simple operation of removing a series of coupling pins, and disconnecting the associated traction tread device, where the tramming device may be of the continuous traction tread type, and that this unit enables a simple control for the tramming devices to be attained, controlling the speed and direction of travel of the machine by the simple operation of controlling the pump and the direction of flow of fluid under pressure from the pump.

I claim as my invention:

1. A tram drive unit for a mining machine comprising:

a main frame and tramming devices propelling the machine along the ground,

an individual power pack for each tramming device,

an individual drive pack for each tramming device,

separate from said power pack, each power pack comprising:

a power pack frame,

a pump mounted on said power pack frame and an electric motor mounted on said power pack frame for driving said pump,

means mounting said power pack frame on said main frame for removal as a unit,

each drive pack comprising:

a drive pack frame,

a hydraulic motor secured to said drive pack frame,

a drive element rotatably journalled in said drive pack frame and having driving engagement with said tramming device,

reduction gearing driven from said hydraulic motor for rotatably driving said drive element,

means removably mounting said drive pack frame on said main frame for removal from said main frame as a unit,

fluid pressure connections from said hydraulic pump to said hydraulic motor, and control means for said pump, controlling the direction and speed of rotation of said hydraulic motor and the speed and direction of travel of the mining machine. 2. A train drive unit in accordance with claim 1, wherein the reduction gearing is planetary geared reduction gearing having an initial drive gear driven from said hydraulic motor and a final drive gear having driving engagement with said drive element. 3. The structure of claim 1, wherein each power pack frame has a pair of parallel spaced inner and outer apertured bracket legs, each having more than one apertured portion aligned with the apertured portion of a next adjacent bracket leg, wherein a pair of coupling pins passing through the apertured portions of said mounting bracket legs and corresponding apertured portions in said main frame serve to detachably mount said power pack frame to said main frame, wherein said drive pack frame has laterally spaced apertured mounting portions extending generally forwardly and rearwardly therefrom, and wherein coupling pins are provided to pass through said apertured mounting portions and corresponding aligned apertures of said main frame, for detachably mounting said main frame to said power pack frame. 4. In a mining machine having a main frame and laterally spaced continuous traction tread devices guided for movement along opposite sides of said main frame for supporting and propelling the machine, drive means for said traction tread devices comprising:

an individual drive sprocket for each traction tread device, a drive pack for driving said drive sprocket, a power pack separate from and individual to said drive pack for supplying power to said drive pack, said power pack comprising:

a power pack frame,

a pump mounted on said frame,

a motor mounted on said power pack frame and having driving connection with said pump,

said drive pack comprising:

a drive pack frame forming a bearing support for said sprocket,

reduction driving gearing within the confines of said sprocket and having driving connection therewith,

a hydraulic motor secured to said drive pack frame and extending outwardly therefrom,

a drive connection from said hydraulic motor to said reduction drive gearing,

fluid pressure connections from said pump to said motor,

7 and means individually mounting said power pack frame and said drive pack frame on said main frame for ready removal and replacement as units.

5. The structure of claim 4, wherein control means are provided for said pump, controlling the direction and speed of rotation of said hydraulic motor, by controlling the output from said pump.

6. The structure of claim 5, wherein the reduction gearing is planetary reduction 7. The structure of claim 4, wherein the individual mounting means for mounting said power pack frame and said drive pack frame on said main frame comprise:

laterally spaced apertured bracket legs extending from said power pack frame, apertured portions on said main frame registrable with the apertured portions of said bracket legs, coupling pins extending through the apertured portions of said bracket legs and the registered apertured portions of said main frame, means locking said coupling pins in engagement with the apertured portions of said mounting lugs and said main frame, apertured mounting portions on said drive pack frame, spaced laterally of each other and extending forwardly and rearwardly of said drive pack frame, apertured portions on said main frame registrable with the apertured portions of said mounting portions of said drive pack frame, coupling pins passing through the apertures of said mounting portions and the aligned apertures of the apertured portions of said main frame, and means locking said coupling pins in position.

8. The structure of claim 7, wherein the reduction gearing is planetary geared reduction gearing contained within the limits of said drive sprocket and having initial and terminal drive gears coaxial with the axis of said motor, the initial drive gear being directly driven by said motor and the terminal drive gear having driving connection with said drive sprocket.

9. The structure of claim 8, wherein a control lever is provided for said pump manually controllable to vary the output of said pump and the direction of the flow of fluid from said pump to said hydraulic motor, for driving said hydraulic motor at varying speeds in forward and reverse directions.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,933,142 4/1960 Whaley 180-648 3,024,858 3/1962 Davis et al. l6.48 3,156,313 11/1964 Peterson ISO-6.48 3,168,927 2/1965 Garner -648 3,263,763 8/1966 Adams 180-6.7

BENJAMIN HERSH, Primary Examiner. L. D. MORRIS, Jr., Assistant Examiner. 

